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- Manyoshu
Masurao no yuzue furiokoshi karitaka no nobe sae kiyoku teru tsukuyo kamo
Like a warrior raising the tip of his bow for the hunt—so it is at Karitaka, where even the far fields lie bathed in the clear light of this moonlit night.
Yama no ha ni isayou tsuki o idemu ka to machitsutsu oru ni yo zo fukenikeru
The moon lingers hesitating on the mountain's rim; as I sat waiting, wondering whether it would rise at last, the night grew late.
Asu no yoi teramu tsukuyo wa katayori ni koyoi ni yorite yonagaku aranamu
Let the moonlit night meant to shine tomorrow evening lean wholly to one side, gathering into tonight, so that this night may be long.
Tamadare no osu no ma tōshi hitori ite miru shirushi naki yūzukuyo kamo
Sitting alone and gazing out through the gaps in the jeweled blinds, I find no joy in watching this early evening moon.
Kasugayama oshite teraseru kono tsuki wa imo ga niwa ni mo sayakeku arikeri
This moon that floods all Mount Kasuga with light—I see now that it was shining clear and bright in my beloved's garden too.
Unabara no michi tōmi kamo tsukuyomi no hikari sukunaki yo wa fukenitsutsu
Is it because the road across the wide sea is so long? The moon's light is faint, and all the while the night grows deeper.
Momoshiki no ōmiyabito no makaridete asobu koyoi no tsuki no sayakesa
How clear the moon shines tonight, as the courtiers of the great palace, released from their duties, gather to take their pleasure.
Nubatama no yo wataru tsuki o todomemu ni nishi no yamabe ni seki mo aranu kamo
If only there were a barrier gate on the western hills to hold back the moon that crosses the jet-black night.
Kono tsuki no koko ni kitareba ima to kamo imo ga idetachi machitsutsu aru ramu
Now that the moon has come round to this point in the sky, my love must be thinking "It is time," and standing outside her door, waiting for me.
Masokagami terubeki tsuki o shirotae no kumo ka kakuseru amatsu kiri kamo
The moon that ought to shine like a clear mirror cannot be seen—is it the white clouds that hide it, or the mists of the heavens?
Hisakata no ama teru tsuki wa kamiyo ni ka idekaeru ramu toshi wa henitsutsu
Does the moon shining in the far heavens return to the age of the gods each time it rises? For us, meanwhile, the years keep passing.
Nubatama no yo wataru tsuki o omoshiromi waga oru sode ni tsuyu zo okinikeru
So lovely was the moon crossing the jet-black night that as I sat gazing, the dew settled on my sleeves before I knew it.
Minasoko no tama sae saya ni mitsubeku mo teru tsukuyo kamo yo no fukeyukeba
So brightly does the moon shine that even the jewels at the bottom of the water could surely be seen clearly—for the night is growing late.
Shimogumori su to ni ka aru ramu hisakata no yo wataru tsuki no mienaku omoeba
Could it be that the sky has clouded over as frost comes on? For the moon that should be crossing the night heavens cannot be seen.
Yama no ha ni isayou tsuki o itsu to kamo wa wa machi oramu yo wa fukenitsutsu
The moon lingers, hesitating on the mountain's rim—how long must I sit here waiting for it, while the night keeps growing later?
Imo ga atari waga sode furamu ko no ma yori idekuru tsuki ni kumo na tanabiki
I will wave my sleeves toward where my love lives—clouds, do not trail across the moon now rising between the trees.